Weather guard



G. D. FLUKE I WEATHER GUARD A Filed May 23, 1953 52 75 29 2? -ff 24v I A @Z 'J xs. l j [1 l. k W Ww w 56 74 7.5' F/GZ, 7g 17 A -ze 715 74- qe-' Y 56.9.

GEORGE D. /C-LUKE,

INVENTOR Patented Mar. 3l, 1936 UNITED STATESl PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to outside doors which are fitted with appliances designed to prevent rain, snow and air from entering under the door, and has for its primary object an improved weather guard adapted to be fitted to the outside of the door and designed to actuate such that rugs, carpets or other floor coverings are not disturbed by the guard whenv the door is opened.

Another object of the invention, is to provide a weather guard that clamps down firmly on the threshold plate such that it forms a perfect seal for the bottom of the door against rain, dust, snow, or wind, thus, in an eiiicient manner pro` tecting the rooms inside from temperature variations.

A further object of this invention, is to provide a simple, rigid mechanism for actuating the guard such that when once properly installed on the door a minimum amount of maintenance is required.

A still further object of this invention, is to provide a case for the guard that not only properly shields the guard, but one that is attractive and can be placed on residence doors of all kinds without in any way distracting from the doors original design.

With these and many other objects in view, which will become more readily apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter pointed out, illustrated and claimed.

It will be quite readily understood by those skilled in the building art to which this invention belongs that the same is susceptible to some structural change or modification without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention; but a preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing in whichz Fig. l shows a plan view of an outside door positioned within the door casing, and having an improved weather guard applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of. my weather guard applied to the door as illustrated in Fig. 1. The guard being shown down on the threshold plate the entire width of the door.

Fig. 3 shows a sectional view of the guard case, the weather guard and its position with reference to the bottom edge of the door.

Fig. 4 shows an outside door positioned within the door casing, the door being slightly ajar, illustrating the position of the operating rod when the door is so positioned.

Fig. 5 shows a partial elevational view of the door illustrated in Fig. 4, and fully illustrates the position of the guard at the instant the door begins to open, the guard being automatically raised first at the edge adjacent the latch or lock, this feature being introduced for the pri- 5 mary purpose of clearing rugs or carpets adjacent the inside bottom edge of the door.

Fig. 6 shows an edge view of the parts shown in Fig. 5 of the drawing and further illustrates the clearance between the threshold plate and 101 the edge of the guard at the lock edge ofthe door.

Fig. 7 shows a plan view of a door being swung away from the door casing a distance suflicient for the guard to be lifted free of the threshold plate the full width of the door.

Fig. 8 shows a partial side elevational view of the parts shown in Fig. '7 of the drawing, and illustrates the weather guard lifted the full length of the threshold plate, and the door being in position to be swung fully open.V

Fig. 9 shows an edge view of the parts shown in Fig. 8 and further illustrates the guard free from the threshold plate.

Fig. 10 shows an enlarged sectional view` of the Weather guard, the casing surrounding the 25 guard and theplunger mechanism used to actuate the guard.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several figures of the draw- 30 ing.

In carrying out this invention, no change is contemplated in the usual door construction or in the threshold plate positioned beneath the door, the invention being applicable to any and all doors whether made of wood yor metal.

` AIn carrying outthis inventionr I provide a case I0, which is preferably made in two pressed metal pieces, the cover II adapted to t into and cover the body I0. The case I 0 is secured to the door I2 through the medium of a plurality of screws 40 I3.

Within the case I 0 the actuating mechanism designed to control the action of the guard, I4, is positioned.

The weather guard I4 is adapted to be` carried 45 in a pressed metal housing or carrier I5, which is slidably positioned in the case I 0 as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

The housing I5 is of inverted U-shape in cross section and is provided with a plurality of slots 50 cut in its upper edge I6 as clearly shown in Fig.

10 of the drawing. The slot I1 is engaged by the free end of a leaf spring I8, while the opposite en-d is secured to the inside top surface of the case I0 as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing. The 55 means used to secure the end of the leaf spring to the case I is also employed to secure a bracket I9, the function of which will be described later.

The housing I5 is further provided with a slot 2D into which extends the end 2| of one arm of a bell crank shaped lever 22 which is fulcrumed on the case Ill through the medium of a screw, rivet or other support 23, as shown in Fig. of the drawing. The underside of the said end 2| of the bell-crank lever 22 cooperates with an abutment carried by the housing I5, said abutment preferably being formed by bending inwardly one or both of the side walls of the housing I5 where the same is cut to provide the slot 20. Thus, upon depression of the end 2| of the bellcrank lever the housing l5 and the guard I4 are depressed. The end 2| of the bell-crank lever not only extends into the slot but underlies a top portion of the housing |5. Consequently, upon elevation of the end 2| of the bell-crank lever the housing I5 and guard I4 are elevated.

The bell crank shaped lever 22 is further provided with a pin connection 24, which secures a bifurcated link 25 thereto. The link 25 has secured thereto an operating rod 21, which is slidably positioned in an open end bracket 28. Adjacent this bracket 28 on the rod 21 I position a washer 29, against which abuts a helical spring 30. In order that the load on the spring may be increased or decreased, I use a rotatable threaded nut 3| on the threaded portion of the rod 21. The threaded end of the rod 21 is further provided with an adjusting nut 32 which protrudes through the end 33 of the case I0. The position of this nut on the threaded rod 21 governs the action of the guard I4.. L

It will be further noticed from Fig. 10 that the helical spring which has an abutment on the washer 29 which in turn rests against the bracket 28, exerts an effort at all times to lift the guard I4 together with its housing I5, away from the threshold plate, and the closing Vof the door, to which this guard is attached, serves to push the nut 32 into the case, actuating the bell crank 22 and thus forcing the weather guard I4 down on the threshold plate. When the door is opened, the spring 30 pushes the bell crank back into its elevated position and the guard is thus elevated or withdrawn from the threshold plate as indicated in Fig. 9 of the drawing.

The leaf spring I1 is made in duplicates, in order to make the guard reversible and is positioned within the case and slidably attached to the weather guard housing in such manner as to elevate the end of the guard housing as soon as the door begins to open, thus in an eicient manner the guard is automatically raised clear of any rugs or floor covering that may be positioned near the door.

In order to firmly hold the guard case cover in position, the screw 23 is adapted to pass through the guard into the door, there being a spacing element between the case and the cover in order to prevent the binding of the bell crank.

In order that the screw 32 may have an abut ment in the door case, a screw 34 or similar means is located in the case in operative alignment with the operating rod 21.

The operation of this guard may be described as follows:

Let us assume that the door to which this guard is attached is closed. We would then have the condition as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing. The rod 21 has thus pushed the bell crank 22 forward and the end 2| of the crank has carried the guard housing down the end 35 striking the threshold plate first, by virtue of the spring I8 holding the front up until nally forced down by the bell crank, overcoming the tension in the leaf spring I8. When the door begins to open, the spring I8 lifts the forward end of the guard housing, causing the same to fulcrum around the foot 2| of the bell crank 22, the bell crank then lifting the guard housing vertically to clear the floor covering.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to be secured by Letters Patent A weather strip attachment for hinged doors including a casing of transversely arched formation, means for securing the casing to a face of the door above the door sill, a weather guard slidably supported in said casing, said guard comprising a housing of inverted U-shaped formation having a weather strip fitted between and projecting downwardly from the sides thereof, the crown of said housing being provided with a medial slot and a slot near one end, an abutment formed on the housing at the bottom of said medial slot, a housing 4supporting and elevating leaf spring carried by the interior of the casing and engaging in said slot near the end of the housing, a combined housing lowering and elevating lever pivoted in the casing and having a hook shaped end portion for entering the medial slot to alternately engage beneath the crown of the housing and bear down on the abutment, and a spring controlled rod connected with the lever and having one end extending exteriorly of the casing.

GEORGE D. FLUKE. 

